1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a precise timing generator in an integrated circuit. In particular, the present invention relates to a precise timing generator in an integrated circuit suitable for use with pulse position modulation (PPM) applications.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Ultra wide bandwidth (UWB) communication is an emerging technology for high data rate wireless communication. In some proposed UWB systems, the signal comprises pulses of defined duration (e.g., Gaussian pulses) that can be transmitted with or without modulation of a conventional carrier. In addition, the UWB communication can occur over a wide frequency band, which may or may not be sub-divided into channels. These proposed UWB systems are disclosed, for example, in (a) U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,208, to Fullerton et al., Ser. No. 09/037,704, filed on Mar. 10, 1998, and (b) “Utra-Wide Bandwidth Time-Hopping Spread-Spectrum Impulse Radio for Wireless Multiple-Access Communications,” by M. Win et al., published in IEEE Transaction on Communication, Vol. 48, No. 4, April 2000, pp. 679–691.
In some of these proposed UWB systems, the pulses can be time-coded (“time-hopping”), pulse position or polarity modulated. Most of these proposed schemes require a precise timing generator to provide the precisely timed signals for transmission or reception. In the prior art, such as the system described in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,208 mentioned above, the timing generator circuit provided is large, occupying an integrated circuit separate from the signal processing integrated circuit, and dissipating a substantial amount of power (e.g., 500 mW). Thus, there is a need to provide a precise timing generator that is suitable for use in such application as UWB communications on the same integrated circuit as the signal processing circuit and which draws substantially less power than the precision timing generator of the prior art.